Prabhaker

@Annetta Ego is very sensitive and very fragile, and is very afraid of criticism. The ego depends on others’ opinions. It has no reality of its own. It is not a real entity, it is not substantial — it is just a collection of others’ opinions. There is a limit. Beyond that nobody likes to be criticized. But the other side of the story is that everybody likes to criticize others; that gives you a good feeling. If others are bad, vicariously it helps you to feel good. If everybody is a cheat, a hypocrite, dishonest, cunning, it gives you a good feeling: you are not that bad, you are not that dishonest. The comparison relaxes you. It helps you to remain dishonest, because people are more dishonest than you are. In this dishonest world how can you survive? You have to play the game. Everybody likes to criticize, and not only to criticize — everybody likes to magnify others’ faults. You try to make others’ faults as big as possible because then, in comparison, your faults are negligible. Ego does not want to be criticized and wants to criticize everybody. Become aware of the strategy of the ego, how it nourishes itself, how it protects itself. Unless you become absolutely aware of all the cunning devices of the ego, you will never be able to get rid of it. Learn the art of acting of your own accord. Don’t be worried about criticisms and don’t be interested in praises. If you are interested in being praised by others, then you cannot be unconcerned about criticism. Remain aloof.

From your very childhood you have been taught to wear masks, beautiful masks. There is no need to have a beautiful face, just a beautiful mask will do. Your whole training is to hide your original face, to wear masks - masks which are appealing to people,masks which are appreciated by people. A man who is ready to drop all masks, all pretensions, all hypocrisies, and show to the world what he, in reality, is. He can be condemned, dishonored, or crucified.

An idiot can start pursuing enlightenment. Pursuing enlightenment doesn't makes anybody wise. But if he is not deceiving himself, if he is not playing game with himself, his intelligence will grow. Jesus says: Only those who are like children will be capable of entering into the kingdom of God. Child-likeness is not childishness. Childishness is foolishness, stupidity: idiotic it is. Child-likeness is totally different: it is a flowering of innocence.

One out a million, who start a spiritual journey reach full enlightenment, it is very rare phenomenon. Your body is going to die whether you are enlightened or not. When you grow spiritually you will find death is an illusion. Death after enlightenment is a blessing. Most of the enlightened people in the world have died almost immediately after enlightenment - the shock is too much. The body may not be able to take it, unless the body is specially prepared to take it. The phenomenon is not natural; one should say, it is beyond nature. When a phenomenon occurs which is contrary to nature, or which is beyond nature, the entire harmony and adjustment of nature becomes disorderly. A great deal of preparation is needed if one wants to save oneself from such a disorderly state. Various yogasanas and mudras, yoga postures, are very helpful in this respect. In fact all the techniques of Yoga are useful in this direction. So you need an extraordinary body -- an ordinary body won't work. You need your body to be made of steel so that it can withstand an unnatural phenomenon of such great magnitude. Very few people survive enlightenment, and the reason why these people survive is strange: people who have been adventurous, people who have enjoyed taking risks, who have lived like a tightrope walker, whose lives have been on a razor's edge, may survive. The shock will be there, but they are accustomed to smaller shocks. They have never had such a big shock, but smaller shocks have prepared them to accept even this enormous phenomenon. They still continue to breathe; their heart still continues to beat. But still the body suffers in many ways because something has happened that the body cannot understand. No scripture of the world discusses it. The question of discussion does not even arise -- no scripture even mentions it, and it has been happening for centuries. Perhaps they were afraid that if they say it... People are already not interested in enlightenment, and if you tell them that this is going to be the reward -- that you become enlightened and your fuse goes off -- this may prevent even those few who might try. They will say, "What nonsense it is. You work hard to attain enlightenment and what do you get as a reward? -- that you are finished! You are not even going to see yourself enlightened. So what is the point? It is a strange game.

@The Universe Any theoretical knowledge will create more and more hindrances, you can't reach ecstasy without facing sufferings. Be prepared to accept anything that comes in your way without judging.

Silence and mind can't exist together. Silence is serene, tranquil, cool. It is ecstasy without any excitement. You feel contentment , as if you have arrived home. It is much more than that only something can be said about it. If you will become greedy to find such state, you will miss.

Deep dreamless sleep , dream sleep and waking state are natural, only state of meditation is your achievement. I have reached that state many times but I fall back unfortunately.

Indian psychology divides human consciousness into three stages: deep, dreamless sleep -- the deepest; then above it, dream sleep; and above it, on the surface, what we call the waking state. In the morning you get up from your bed; you enter the waking state. In the evening you go to your bed you enter dream sleep. And then deep in the night somewhere, dreams disappear and you fall down into the abyss of dreamless sleep -- that is known as SUSHUPTI. This dreamless sleep is without mind, because there is no thought, no dream, no ripple; everything has ceased, mind has dissolved. You ARE -- without a mind. That's why the insistence -- "without mind AND alert." That's the only difference between samadhi and sushupti -- samadhi, the ultimate peak of ecstasy, and sushupti, the deepest center of dreamless sleep -- only one difference; otherwise, they are one. In sushupti there is no mind; in samadhi also there is no mind. In sushupti you are unconscious; in samadhi you are perfectly conscious. But the quality of consciousness is the same. In one there is darkness, in another there is light. Through meditation one has to achieve a dreamless sleep like state with full alertness.

@egoeimai In India most of the vegetarians are Lacto Vegetarians, they consume milk and milk products to keep their body and mind healthy. Indians believe that almonds are memory enhancers. There are many Ayurvedic medicines which are popular for improving brain and memory functioning. Those who practice celibacy don't take milk products. Many right wingers will prefer to die instead of eating non-vegetarian food.

It may also imply that unhappy people don't become rich. Happy people become more successful.

To transform breakdowns into breakthroughs is the whole function of a master. Find a reputed spiritual teacher.

@Loreena Only a rich person can become spiritual. I am not saying that a poor person cannot become spiritual, but it is very rare, exceptional. A poor person goes on hoping. A poor person has not known what riches are. He is not yet frustrated with it. How can he go beyond riches if he is not frustrated with them? A poor man also sometimes comes , but then he asks for success. His son is not getting employed, His wife is ill, or he is losing money in his business. These are symptoms of a poor man, one who is asking about things of this world. When a rich person comes to spirituality, he has money, he has employment, he has a house, he has health—he has everything that one can have. And suddenly he has come to a realisation that nothing is fulfilling. Then the search for God starts. Yes, sometimes a poor man can also be spiritual, but for that very great intelligence is needed. A rich man, if he is not spiritual, is stupid. A poor man, if he is spiritual, is tremendously intelligent. if a poor man is not spiritual, he has to be forgiven. If a rich man is not spiritual, his sin is unpardonable. A rich society can become spiritual, but only some poor individuals can become spiritual. Spirituality flowered in India , when India was at peak of his civilization. Now it will flower in west.

@Loreena If you are too much unconscious, mentally ill, sometimes more money can bring disasters, threat to your life and security. I have seen it in my family. Only if you are a happy person , money will make you more happy.

When was born in Nepal but after he left his kingdom for a spiritual journey, he lived mainly in India (Bihar state). After enlightenment he was spreading his message in Bihar , he was arguing with Brahmins , do you conceive that a non-vegetarian can do that. You are not familiar with culture of India. I am never said that meat is good or bad for heath. Neither I said a non-vegetarian can't grow into a meditator , I only mentioned that it becomes easier to reach deeper levels of meditation , if you are vegetarian.

When Jesus was crucified , when Krishna and Mohammad were fighting wars and killing others. Were they not awakened ?

Someone won a lottery. His wife became very anxious, since it was far too much money for her poor husband. The lottery was worth one hundred thousand dollars. Even five dollars was a big sum for him, and here he was going to get one hundred thousand in a lump. But luckily the husband was not present in the house when the news arrived; he was in his office where he was a petty clerk. So she rushed to the local church and told the priest, ”My husband has won a lottery worth one hundred thousand dollars. It is too much money for him. Soon he will return from his office, and I am afraid this happy news might kill him. Can you do anything about it?” The priest said, ”Don’t worry, I will come to your house soon.” The priest came. The woman asked him what he was going to do. The priest said, ”I have thought out the whole plan. He will receive his happiness in installments.” When the old man came home, the priest told him, ”You will be glad to know that you have won a lottery worth fifty thousand dollars.” The clerk said, ”If it is true, I will donate twenty five thousand to your church.” Hearing this the priest died of heart failure.

Money can be beautiful — if it is not possessed, if you don’t become obsessed with it. It can be beautiful. If money circulates, moves from one hand to another, goes on moving, the more movement the better. Money should not become the goal, but I am not saying at the same time that you should renounce it and become beggars — use it, it is a good means. One should have money, earn money, produce money — and use it. One should hold it only to use and one should use it only to hold; it becomes a circle. Then a person is both, a miser and a renouncer together. You simply enjoy whatsoever money can give. Money can give many things and money cannot give many things; when you use it then you know what money can give. Money can give all that is outward — things of this world, nothing is wrong in them. Nothing is wrong in having a beautiful house. Nothing is wrong in having a beautiful garden — money can give it to you. But money cannot give you love, that is expecting too much from poor money.

@Loreena If you are happy and you have money, you will become more happy. If you are unhappy and you have money, you will become more unhappy because what will you do with your money? Your money will enhance your pattern, whatsoever it is.

There are two ways to transcend it. One is the way of the world — you can call it desire. Desire is the way to hide this anxiety. You rush into earning money, madly. You become so absorbed in earning money that you forget all existential anxiety. Then there is no point, no time to think about real problems. Then you put aside everything and you just go into the search for money, more money. And as you get money, more and more desire arises. This desiring for money or political power is nothing but a cover for your anxiety. That’s why people are very much frightened when they are left alone and nothing is there to be done. That’s why retired people become very very uneasy, uncomfortable. They die fast. Because the anxiety that he has been repressing through his job asserts itself. He was running after money, chasing after political power; there was no time to give to anxiety. Now there is all the time and nothing to do. Sitting in his armchair he does only one thing — anxieting. Nothing else to do! Now ALL the repressed anxieties of his whole life — that denied existential part takes revenge. It kills. He becomes ill, heart attacks come, he becomes paralyzed. But there is more possibility that all this is happening because of the psychology, not because of the body. When a person is succeeding and his desires are taking him farther and farther away, he remains healthy. Politicians are almost always healthy when they are in power; when they lose power, they suddenly become old. When a person is earning and earning and earning, he remains healthy. When he becomes d failure, when he goes bankrupt, then suddenly, yes, in a single night all his hair can turn white — literally. Desire is a way to avoid anxiety, but only to avoid. You cannot destroy it by desiring. And desire gives you small anxieties, remember, VERY small anxieties, which are not existential. Of course, when you are earning money you will have a few anxieties: the market and the share market, and things like that, and prices. And you have put so much money — are you going to earn out of it or are you going to lose? These small anxieties. These are nothing compared to the real anxiety — these are tricks to avoid the real. Of course, when you are ambitious for politician power, you will have anxieties, a thousand and one. But they are nothing! they are play-things compared to the fundamental anxiety. @Annetta Desire is a cover-up for anxiety. It is a trick, a strategy. And meditation is to uncover it. That’s why people can’t sit silently even for a few minutes. Because when they sit silently, anxieties start raising their heads. They become very much afraid. That’s why people ask, even in meditation, “What should we do? Can we chant a mantra?” Then it is okay; then the mantra becomes your cover. All the old methods - if used directly, without catharsis - will not be of much help. If you just watch the mind, it will take a very long time - years. And nothing is certain because you are not simply watching: every day, you are creating more mind. And there is a past accumulation in the mind, so it can go on and on; you can go on and on. Old methods can help somebody who has not much tension in his body, has not much repression in his mind, but now to find such people is very difficult. Now everybody is full of tensions. Woodcutters, fishermen, farmers – for them old methods may be perfectly good, because already their body is doing so much. Modern civilization people are sitting the whole day in their chairs. Bodies were not made for that. Man is basically a hunter. His body was made to work hard – eight hours, twelve hours – and the question of tensions in the body was out of the question. The whole upbringing, the civilization, the education, is suppressive. You have accumulated anger, sex, violence, greed, everything! Now this accumulation is a madness within you. If you begin with any suppressive meditation, for example, with just sitting, you are suppressing all of this, you are not allowing it to be released. So, begin with a catharsis - dynamic meditation.

Remember, they are shadows. They are, in a sense, and still they are not: that is the meaning of a shadow. It is non-substantial. A shadow is just an absence. If someone says that the shadow is a reality, that darkness is a reality, he is right. Although darkness exists, shadow exists, nevertheless it is only the absence of light. Clash of shadows don't make sound. @Parki Can clash of two light beams make a sound ?

Poverty is not the cause of suicides in India. A poor person who has not his life yet, don't think of dying. When whole society is poor, you don't complain much about it. Indian think poverty as a result of past lives karma. Causes for suicide in India In 2014 Causes No of people Bankruptcy or indebtedness 2,308 Marriage Related Issues 6,773 Non Settlement of Marriage 1,096 Dowry Related Issues 2,261 Extra Marital affairs 476 Divorce 333 Others 2,607 Failure in Examination 2,403 Impotency/Infertility 332 Other Family problems 28,602 Illness 23,746 AIDS/STD 233 Cancer 582 Paralysis 408 Insanity/Mental illness 7,104 Other prolonged illness 15,419 Death of dear person 981 Drug abuse/addiction 3,647 Fall in social reputation 490 Ideological causes/Hero worshipping 56 Love affairs 4,168 Poverty 1,699 Unemployment 2,207 Property dispute 1,067 Suspected/Illicit relation 458

Enlightenment has no purpose, it has no utility, it is not a means to some end. It is enough unto itself. It is such a contentment, such deep satisfaction with oneself and the cosmos, such a strong let-go, that you don’t have to do anything. Just being is more than you can have conceived – the joy of just being, the blissfulness of just being. Non-doing awareness has no function in the world but is simply a blissfulness, an ecstasy, a drunkenness utterly centered in the present moment… That is the whole idea of the Buddhas: to make you aware that something is hiding inside you. But because it is of no use, you don’t care about it. The world consists of utility, and your consciousness is of no utility. You cannot earn by it, you cannot sell it, you cannot do anything by it. It is not a doing energy. Spirituality is not morality. Spirituality is not a question of morality, it is a question of vision. Spirituality is not the practicing of virtues - because if you practice a virtue it is no longer a virtue. A practiced virtue is a dead thing, a dead weight. Virtue is virtue only when it is spontaneous, virtue is virtue only when it is natural, unpracticed - when it comes out of your vision, out of your awareness, out of your understanding. You can practice non-violence, but you will still remain violent, because your vision has not changed. A greedy person can practice sharing, but the greed will remain the same. Even the sharing will be corrupted by the greed, because you cannot practice anything against your understanding.

Times of crisis are both dangerous and immensely important -- dangerous for those who have no courage to explore new dimensions of life. They are bound to disintegrate into different kinds of madness, because their mind was made by the society. Now the society is disintegrating, the mind cannot remain; its roots are in the society. It is constantly nourished by the society -- now that nourishment is disappearing. But times of crisis are of tremendous significance for those daring souls who have never bothered about society's respectability, its honors; who have never bothered about what others think about them, but have done only that which they felt right to do; who have in a certain way been always rebellious, individualistic. For these people the times of crisis are just golden, because the society is disintegrating. The daring individual can use this opportunity to go beyond mind, because now the society cannot prevent him, cannot hinder him. Now he is free. This is the situation of many people of intelligence. Either they are going insane... you can see it or find some way, some method, some meditation -- Yoga, Zen. Somewhere somebody must know how to get over this critical stage, how to go beyond the traditional mind and still remain centered, sane, and intelligent. But it is a beautiful time. The grip of society is lost. Yes, the mediocre will suffer, but anyway they were not enjoying, they were not really living; they were simply being hypocrites. By being insane at least they will be real, authentic. They won't lose anything -- of course they won't gain much.... The people who will go beyond mind will create the new man.

If you meditate, love will follow; if you love, meditation will follow. Meditation is easier, love is difficult. Meditation means living with oneself, forgetting the other completely – it is a less difficult dimension than love. Love and meditation are two aspects of the same coin; if you have gained control of the one aspect, the other follows. A glimpse of bliss, love, means you had come close. But glimpses are bound to be lost. Meditation can, at the most, give only a glimpse. But do not stop there; do not get stuck looking for that same glimpse again and again. Then one has to go ahead.

Everybody is both. But up to now, the society has been conditioned in such a way, we have been taught and brought up in such a way, that man is man, woman is woman. This is a very false arrangement, untrue to nature. If a man starts crying and weeping, people start telling him, “Don’t weep like a woman, don’t cry like a woman; don’t be sissy.” This is nonsense — because a man has as many tear-glands in his eye as a woman. If nature had not meant for him to cry and weep then there would have been no tear-glands. Now this is very repressive. If a girl starts behaving like a man, is ambitious, aggressive — mm? — people start thinking that something is wrong: something hormonal is wrong. They call her a tomboy; she is not a girl. This is nonsense! This division is not natural; this division is political, social. A woman is more woman, less man and a man is more man, less woman. Trouble arises when someone deliberately tries to behave like other, instead of living naturally , spontaneously.